Filed under Decorating on December 4th, 2008:
Green Your Indianapolis Holiday Season: Part 2
Green Lights
Another easy way of going green this holiday season is to use better lighting indoors and out. If you’re like me, one of the great things about this time of year are the gorgeous lights. Unfortunately, the traditional incandescent lights of yesteryear– you know, the annoying line of little bulbs that’s always getting tangled up– are extremely inefficient and taxing on the power grid. On top of that, they’re just a pain in the _____. If you’ve ever had the privilege of hunting for a blown bulb you know exactly what I mean. No amount of eggnog and rum can cure that pain!
Instead of wasting your time and electricity on those incandescents, use energy-efficient LED lights (Light Emitting Diodes) this year. Compared to traditional bulbs, LEDs are brighter, more colorful, 90 percent more efficient, and last tens of thousands of hours longer. But, before you go out and buy two-dozen different colors of LEDs, you should know a little bit about your choices.
Currently, there are two types of LEDs on the market: Full Wave and Half Wave. The specific design differences are beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say, Half Wave LEDs are slightly more efficient than their Full Wave counterpart (by only about 5%), but they also have an annoying tendency to look like they’re quickly flickering off and on. Full Wave LEDs don’t have this problem and still last over 15 times as long as incandescent bulbs. Both Full Wave and Half Wave LEDs are also waterproof and crush-resistant so you don’t have to worry about jr. stepping on them. You can find both types of LEDs at stores like ForeverLED.com and HolidayLEDS.com.
You can find lots of ways to go green this holiday season in Indianapolis. Whatever you do, though, remember that this time of year is about giving. Help give the gift of green to those you love and have joyous holiday season.
December 15th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
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